A few too many can add up to a serious injury.

Frosh week is coming up. Who doesn’t enjoy going out with friends and catching up over a beer? We do too. But when a few drinks become a few too many, serious injuries can happen.

Most of us are aware of the risks of excessive alcohol consumption—the long-term health consequences, the risk of drinking and driving, and so on. But what we might not know is that excessive alcohol consumption dramatically increases the risk of injury. And it dramatically increases the severity of those injuries too.

It makes sense when you think about it. Researchers have long understood that drinking can impair coordination, as well as the ability to recognize and respond to risks.1 Given that, it’s not surprising that statistics have underscored the relationship between excessive drinking and serious injury:

Alcohol is the #1 risk factor associated with injury in BC.2

Average number of alcohol-related injury deaths per year: 460.3

Among 20-34 year-olds, over one third of all deaths between 2001-2015 were attributable in some way to excessive alcohol consumption.4

We want to pass on a message of moderation to post-secondary students heading back to school. We want to be clear here: go ahead and have a drink, just remember your common sense. Before indulging becomes over-indulging, have a word with yourself—and make sure you’re doing what you need to do to stay safe.